Maternity and Parental Leave Benefits (육아휴직급여) in Korea for Foreign Residents

If you are enrolled in Korean employment insurance (고용보험) and have a child, you are very likely entitled to cash benefits during both maternity leave and parental leave. These benefits are not restricted by nationality. The critical question is not whether you qualify in principle, but whether your employer enrolled you correctly.

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The two benefits

Korea's Employment Insurance Act (고용보험법) provides two separate cash benefits for working parents.

Maternity leave benefit (출산전후휴가급여)

Maternity leave (출산전후휴가) is 90 days of job-protected leave around childbirth (for a single birth; 120 days for multiple births). During that leave:

• Your employer pays your ordinary wage (통상임금) for the first 60 days.
• Employment insurance reimburses the employer and pays you directly for the remaining 30 days, up to a statutory monthly cap.

For workers at large companies (300 or more employees), the employer pays all 90 days and claims reimbursement from employment insurance. For workers at ordinary companies (under 300 employees), employment insurance pays the worker directly for the final 30 days.

The government-paid portion is your ordinary wage up to the monthly cap in effect at the time of your leave. Confirm the current cap with your employment center (고용센터) or at ei.go.kr, as the cap figure is set by annual government notice.

Parental leave benefit (육아휴직급여)

Parental leave (육아휴직) is separate from maternity leave. It can last up to 12 months per parent per child, and can be taken for a child aged 8 or younger (or in the second year of elementary school or below).

Under the 2025 rates, parental leave benefit is structured in three tiers across the 12-month leave:

These figures are from HR compliance sources, not read directly from the Ministry of Employment and Labor's official notice (고용노동부 고시). Treat them as close estimates. Before planning leave around a specific amount, confirm the current monthly caps with your local employment center.

For single parents, the first-period rate is reported to be higher (around ₩3.0M per month for months 1-3 under 2025 rates). Verify this with your employment center as well.

A full 12-month parental leave can reach roughly ₩22M in total under the 2025 rates (as of 2026, verify current amounts).

Both parents can take parental leave. Each parent is entitled to up to 12 months per child, separately. The leaves can overlap or run consecutively.

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Who qualifies

Eligibility rests on two requirements, both of which apply regardless of nationality.

1. Enrollment in employment insurance (고용보험)

You must be enrolled. Enrollment is your employer's legal obligation, not yours. For most visa categories it is mandatory: F-2 (Residence), F-5 (Permanent Residence), F-6 (Marriage Migrant), E-1 through E-7, E-8, E-10, and H-2 workers are all subject to mandatory enrollment. E-9 (non-professional employment) workers can be enrolled voluntarily by their employer.

2. At least 180 insured days (피보험기간)

You must have accumulated 180 days of insured period before the leave begins. These do not have to be continuous. If you have changed jobs in Korea, days from previous employers count, provided the gap between jobs was not longer than the insurance reset period.

There is no nationality condition, no visa-specific exclusion for enrolled workers, and no requirement that you be a Korean citizen or permanent resident.

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The most common failure: enrollment gaps

Many foreign workers discover they are not enrolled in employment insurance only when they try to claim a benefit. This happens for several reasons:

• The employer never registered the worker at all.
• The employer registered the worker late, causing a gap in the insured period.
• The worker was misclassified as a contractor (3.3% withholding) rather than an employee, so employment insurance was never collected.

Check your enrollment before you need it. Do not wait until you are pregnant or have already taken leave.

How to verify enrollment

Go to ei.go.kr and log in using your ARC (alien registration card, 외국인등록증) number. The portal shows your enrollment status and your accumulated insured days.

Alternatively, ask your employer's HR department to show you the employment insurance registration document (고용보험 피보험자격 취득 신고서).

If you find you are not enrolled, your employer is required by law to register you. Contact the Ministry of Employment and Labor helpline at 1350 (free call from any Korean phone, multilingual) to report the problem or get guidance on what to do next.

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How to claim: step by step

There are two separate steps. Your employer handles one. You handle the other.

Step 1: Employer files the leave registration

Before your leave begins, your employer must submit a leave registration to the employment insurance system. This is the employer's responsibility. Without this registration, the employment insurance system will not process your benefit claim.

Confirm with your employer's HR department that the registration has been filed before you start your leave.

Step 2: You file the benefit claim

You file the benefit claim yourself, separately from the employer's registration.

For maternity leave benefit: File after the leave begins. You can apply online at ei.go.kr, or in person at your local employment center (고용센터). Bring your ARC, bankbook, and the leave registration confirmation from your employer.

For parental leave benefit: You can file monthly, once per calendar month of leave, or apply for a lump sum at the end of the leave period. Monthly filing pays faster. Apply at ei.go.kr or at your local employment center.

Do not wait for your employer to file the benefit claim. The benefit application is your responsibility.

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What you need to bring when filing

At the employment center or when filing online, you will typically need:

• Alien Registration Card (ARC, 외국인등록증)
• Bankbook or account details for direct deposit
• Birth certificate of the child (for parental leave)
• Confirmation of the leave registration filed by your employer
• Employment contract (in case of any questions about your employment status)

Documents may need Korean or certified translation. Confirm the current document requirements at your local employment center before your appointment.

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Visa-by-visa summary

When in doubt about your visa category, call 1350 or visit your local employment center.

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What to do next

1. Check your enrollment today. Log in to ei.go.kr with your ARC number and confirm you appear as an enrolled worker with an active insured period.

2. Accumulate 180 days before your leave. If you are planning ahead, confirm your insured-day count now. 180 days is roughly six months of full-time employment.

3. Tell your employer before your leave starts. Your employer needs time to file the leave registration. Give HR as much notice as possible.

4. File the benefit claim yourself. Once your employer has registered the leave, file your claim at ei.go.kr or at your nearest employment center (고용센터).

5. Confirm the current monthly caps. The rate figures in this guide are from 2025 HR compliance sources. Before your leave begins, confirm the rates in effect at that time with your employment center.

For free multilingual consultation on employment insurance, parental leave claims, or enrollment problems, call 1350 from any Korean phone.

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FAQ

Do foreign workers qualify for maternity and parental leave benefits in Korea?

Yes. The Employment Insurance Act (고용보험법) does not restrict these benefits by nationality. Any worker enrolled in employment insurance with at least 180 insured days qualifies. F-2, F-5, F-6, and most E-series visa holders qualify if their employer enrolled them correctly. E-9 workers qualify if they voluntarily opted into employment insurance. The most important thing to check is whether your employer actually enrolled you.

How do I check whether I am enrolled in employment insurance?

Log in to the Employment Insurance portal (고용보험 포털) at ei.go.kr and check your enrollment history. Alternatively, ask your employer's HR department for a copy of your insurance registration. If you find you are not enrolled and believe you should be, your employer is legally required to register you. Contact the Ministry of Employment and Labor helpline at 1350 (available in English, Vietnamese, Chinese, and other languages) for guidance.

How much does parental leave pay in 2025?

Under the 2025 rates, parental leave pay is around ₩2.5M per month for the first 3 months, around ₩2.0M per month for months 4 through 6, and around ₩1.6M per month for months 7 through 12. These figures come from HR compliance sources, not directly from the official MOEL notice (고용노동부 고시). Confirm the current monthly caps with your local employment center (고용센터) before planning around a specific number. The total for a full 12-month leave is roughly ₩22M under these rates.

Can both parents take parental leave for the same child?

Yes. Parental leave is per parent per child. Each parent can take up to 12 months of leave separately for the same child. The leaves can run consecutively or overlap. There is no rule requiring one parent to finish before the other starts.

Who files the claim: me or my employer?

There are two separate filings. First, your employer registers the leave with the employment insurance system. Second, you file the benefit claim yourself through the Employment Insurance portal (ei.go.kr) or at a local employment center (고용센터). For maternity leave, file the benefit claim after the leave begins. For parental leave, you can file monthly or apply for a lump sum. Do not wait for your employer to file the benefit on your behalf.

Does an E-9 visa allow parental leave benefits?

E-9 workers are not automatically enrolled in employment insurance. Enrollment is voluntary for E-9 workers. If your employer opted you in and you have accumulated 180 insured days, you qualify for maternity and parental leave benefits on the same terms as other enrolled workers. If you are unsure whether you were enrolled, check at ei.go.kr or ask your employer.

What is the maternity leave benefit, and how is it different from parental leave?

Maternity leave (출산전후휴가, 90 days for a single birth) is a fixed leave period around childbirth. Employment insurance covers the last 30 days at your ordinary wage, up to a statutory monthly cap. Your employer covers the first 60 days. Parental leave (육아휴직) is a separate benefit you take to care for a young child, after maternity leave or return to work. It pays a monthly cash benefit from employment insurance for up to 12 months. The two benefits are distinct and can be used in sequence.

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What's changed

• 2026-05-28: Guide first published covering maternity leave benefit (출산전후휴가급여), parental leave benefit (육아휴직급여), eligibility for foreign workers, enrollment verification, and the step-by-step claim process. Rates reflect 2025 Employment Insurance Act amendments; verify current caps at ei.go.kr or with your local employment center.

@misc{seoulstart-korea-parental-leave-benefits-guide,
  author = {{Seoulstart Editorial Team}},
  title = {{Maternity and Parental Leave Benefits (육아휴직급여) in Korea for Foreign Residents (2025)}},
  year = {2026},
  publisher = {Seoulstart},
  url = {https://seoulstart.com/guides/korea-parental-leave-benefits-guide},
  note = {Last updated May 28, 2026}
}